Can-opener.



J. MORGAN. CAN OPENER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9. I916.

1,21 8,884. Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN MORGAN, on NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO LULU JONES, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

CAN-OPENER.

Application filed March 9,

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, JOHN MORGAN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and resident of the city, county, and State'of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Can-Openers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to can cover lifting devices, particularly to devices of this class which are intended to be used in connection with cans having friction covers.

The object of the invention is to provide a cover lifter of this character which is not only quick and sure in its operation but is cheap to manufacture .and of such convenient size that'one may be packed with or attached to each can cover before or after the can is filled, so that it may be readily opened when it reaches its ultimate destination.

My invention is fully disclosed in the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a can having a friction lid and showing one form of my improved lid lifter secured to the lid;

Fig. 2 is a cross section through the center of the can showing the lifter in normal position; A a

Fig. 3 is a top view of the can, the lifter being in the position shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the position of the lid and lifter after the prying operation;

Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are side views of di-fierent forms of lifters embodying my invention; d. "1 1 Fig. 8 is a side view of the lifter shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive; and

Fig. 9 is an edge view ,of the form shown in Fig. 8.

Referring to the drawings, 10 indicates a can or receptacle having a sheet metal head 11 with a circular opening 12 therein adapted to be closed by a metalliccover 13. A substantially vertical flange 14 is formed around .the circular openingby .any ,well known means, the inner surface of which is adapted to engage and frictionally hold the. outer surface of the substantially vertical flange 15 of the top or cover 13. The top of the flange 15 is doubled back upon itself and bent over into .a horizontal position to form a bead or rim 15', the function Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

1916. Serial No. 83,129.

of which is to prevent the cover from being forced completely through the opening 12 in closing the can, and also to furnish a projecting flange under which the pointed or fiat ends of various tools may be thrust to pry the lid from the opening.

When the frictional engagementbetween the can and cover is ,strong, considerable force is necessary to lift the cover, and in cases Where the edge of the cover is not near the edge of the can so that no convenient fulcrum point may be obtained, it is often very difficult to dislodge the cover from its seat. Often too, suitable tools for accomplishing the removal of the cover are not available, and when pocket or. table knives, forks, etc., are used, they are liable to be broken.

To do away with these inconveniences I secure to the cover of the can a lid lifter such as shown in the drawing. The lifter may be secured on the can either by the manufacturer of the can, the packer, or the retailer.

The lifter shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 8 and 9. consists in a piece of wire bent to form two legs 30 and 31. The leg 30 has a returnbend 32 which terminates in a prying shoulder 33. This shoulder 33 and the terminal of the leg 31 are close together and serve to hold the lifter in permanent engagement with the cap of the can, as shown in Figs. 1 to 4. The legs 30 and 31 lie approximately in the same plane .and the upper part 34 of the loop between them is preferably bent laterally out of this plane in the direction opposite to the. shoulder 33. This 'out of engagement with the can. The lid can be replaced and removed as often as desii'ed without disconnecting the lifter from the id. The lifter shown: in Fig. 7 is of simple form' but operates substantially in the same way as that shown in Figs. 8 and 9. In the device shown in Fig. 7 the springwire is bent in a single plane which comprises a loop having two legs 40 and 41, the leg 40 having a return bend 42 terminating in a prying shoulder 43. The leg 41 has an inwardly bent portion 'termlnating close to the shoulder 43 and serving to hold the lifter on the can lid with the shoulder 43 in proper position to pry up the lid when the lifter is raised into the position, as shownin Fig. 4.

In Fig. 5 I have shown another form of the invention which is stamped from sheet metal, preferably resilient metal such as sheet steel. In this form thereare two legs 20 and 21, the latter having a prying shoulder 22 and a terminal 23 below the shoulder which serves as a fulcrum for the lifter. The leg 21 is separated slightly from the shoulder 22, as shown at 19, to permit the device to be sprung over the flange of a can lid. Theentire device is flat and, as shown, substantially oval. Its upper end 24 serves as a handle and the interior is cut away as The modified form of device shown in Fig. 6 is also constructed of sheet metal and it operates substantially as'does'the device a shoulder to engage the under side of the flange of the lid and the other terminal oooperating with the shoulder to hold the device permanently on the lid. In each form of the device there is. also an extension below the shoulder to form a fulcrum about {Iv clinch the device may be turned to lift the .Having described the invention what is claimed is:

1. A lifter for can lids, adapted to cooperate with the top of a can and the rim of its lid, comprising a metal loop, the free ends of which are normally close together and adapted to be sprung over the bead of a can lid to permanently engage the same, one free end of the loop having a shoulder to engage the bead or flange of the can lid and having an extension beyond the shoulder to serve as a fulcrum adapted to rest on the can when prying the lid open.

2. A lifter for can lids, adapted to co- 7 operate with the top of a can and the rim of a lid therein, comprising a loop, of spring Wire having its terminals close together, one leg or member of said loop having a return bend, the end of which constitutes a shoulder adapted to engage; and pry up the flange of the can lid, substantially as described.

3. A lifter for can lids, adapted to cooperate with the top of a can and the rim of a lid therein, comprising a loop of spring wire having its terminals close together, one leg or member of the loop having a return 3 bend 32 terminating in a shoulder 33 and the other leg terminating close to the shoulder 33, the return bend serving as a fulcrum and the cooperating ends of the loop serving to hold the device in permanent engagement with a can top.

4. A lifter for can lids comprising a nearly closed loop having two legs or members, a return bend on one of said legs terminating in a shoulder arranged close to the terminus of the other leg and the upper portion of the loop being bent out of the plane of said legs or members, whereby the device may lie flat upon the lid of a can when engaged with the flan e thereof.

. In testimony whereof I afii x my signature.

JOHN MORGAN. 

